Apparatus for removing dust from electrodes



y 3, 1930. A. L. LABBE 1,758,404

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DUST FROME ILECTRODES Filed Sept. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I u I v v Q u 4 J u f? I A) INVENTOR 30 a iifaflk ATTORNEYv Patented May 13, 1930 I UNITED STATES ARMAND L. LABBE,F MURRAY, UTAH, Assmnon TO AMERICAN SMELTING Ann Para r ewes REFINING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. X., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DUST FROM ELECTRODES Application filed September 2, 1825. Serial No. 54,163.

According to my invention a dust precipitator of the Cottrell type having sets respectively of metal plate electrodes and ofsus pended and weighted wire electrodes which sets are insulated from each other and secured to metal bars or frames having a naturalelasticity is provided with vibrators actuated by air pressure or electricity for delivering series of rapid blows against the supporting bars or frames to jar them and through them to jar the respective plate or wire electrodes carried by them whereby there is removed from the electrodes accumulations of precipitated dust which cause trouble by loading up the electrodes, short circuiting them, and reducing the'etficiency of the apparatus in the performance of its precipitating function. One of said vibrators is provided with means holding it normally out of operating relation with the electrode sup-v ports and with means for automatically moving itinto operating position as soon as the proper controls are actuated. v

In theaccompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one form of mechanism with certain modifications thereof embodying the invention, in which Fig. '1 is an elevation view showing diagrammatically a set of plate electrodes which are adapted for connection to one side-of a high tension electric circuit, a set of wire electrodes which through the ground are adapted for connection to the other side of the said circuit, an air gun or hammer for rapping or jarring the. supporting member for said plate electrodes, and an air hammer for jarring or rapping the supporting. means gun mounted for positioning above the electrode supporting means of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they areint-ended to he as generic in theiiuapplication to similar parts as the art will permit.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the: horizontal chute 10 has its bottom 11 formed in the-shape of a hopper. and has mounted therein the. plate electrodes 14 wh1ch are grounded and the.

wire electrodes 16 which are connectedwto one side of .a high tension electric circuit.

The two rails 18, 18 serve through the angle members 20 to support said plates-M and to connect them to the ground. A rail 22and the cross rails support said wire electrode 16 in spaced relation with said plate eleetrodes Maud with respect toeach other, and weights 25 at the end of each of saidwires 16 serve to holdthe wires taut. 22 is properly insulated from the insulating blocks 26.

On the floor 12 and over eachof said rails 1.8 is mounted an air hammer 30 (see also ground by Fig. 3) comprising the standard 32, the cylinder 34:, the piston 36, the supply pipe38, and the bit 40 which during the hammering action strikes the respectiveraillS a series of rapid. blows. .A spring 39 works in .opposition to the air pressure to close the cylinder exhaust port and to return the moving parts to a normal inactive position at the top of the hammer stroke.

Over the rail 22 is mounted-an air hammer46 whose bit 48 extends through the floor 12 for movement into operable relation with said rail 22. As shown in; Fig. 4 the standard 50 supports the hammer 4G by means of the,

brackets 52, 54, and 56. ,Said bracket 56 cars Said rail ries an auxiliarypiston 58 whichoperates within the auxiliary cylinder 60 mounted .at the top of hammer 46. Between the upper surface of said bracket 5% and the lower sur faceof atiange (32 secured to the top of cylinder G0 the compressionspring 64: is mounted,

which tends to move iupwardly said cylinder 60 and hammer 46 to whichit is attached. The air pressure pipe 70 which is supplied with a valve (not shown) connects through a duct 72 extending through piston 58 into Upon the admission of air pressure into the gun through said pipe 70 the cylinder 60 and gun proper 46 are moved downwardly to its lowermost position against the tension 'fective precipitation.

of spring 64 acting between flange 62 and said bracket 54. In this position the bit 48 is brought into operating relation with said rail 22 and in which position said gun 46 through the operation of its proper piston causes the bit 48 to hammer on said rail 22.

In the operation of the apparatus embodying my invention the air hammers 30 and 46 serve to deliver series of rapid blows to the bars 18 and 22 respectively, which support respectively the plate electrodes 14 and the wire electrodes 16. Through such blows on said bars 18 and 22 said electrodes 14 and 16 are shaken free of any dust which has settled and accumulated on them and which in excessive accumulations causes considerable trouble through we ghting down the electrode apparatus, short circuiting them and reducing the efliciency of the precipitating apparatus by cutting down the high tension electrostatic effects necessary for ef- The plate electrodes 14'- are effectively jarred through their supporting bars or rail members 18 because the natural elasticity of the metal rails causes the transmission of the jarring vibrations to the plates which are thereby quickly shaken free of dust accumulations.

' In a similar manner the wire electrodes 16 by'being suspended-t0 the bars 22 and by being held taut by the weights 25 are effectively jarred through the jarring of said bars 22 whereby they likewise are freed of accumulations of dust. The function of the weights 2 5 in the "jarring operation is to keep the wires from being caused to swing against each other or against the plate electrodes as well as-to give them a natural vibration frequency which will quickly and effectively free-them of dust when jarring impulses are transmitted to them.

Upon the application of air through the pipe 70 to the hammer 46, the hammer through the cooperation of piston 58 and cylinder 60 is moved against spring 64 into operating relation with said rail 22 in which position it delivers rapid blows. to said rail through bit 48. Upon release of air pres sure from pipe 70 the spring 64 operates to carry the hammer 46 and its bit 48 out of contact with the bar 22 which is connected to the high tension circuit and to such a distance example as above described, dust may be easily, rapidly and cheaply removed from electrodes of a precipitator of the Cottrell type and this without disassembling the apparatus. and without interrupting to any great extent the useand operation of the precipitator. The automatic movement of the jarring means to a distance away from those electrodes which are connected directly to a high potential current source insures that the use of the jarring apparatus does not interfere with the proper functioning of the precipitator. No brushes or other external dust removing means are necessary and the dust is caused to fall directly into the accumulators provided therefor. As soon as the removal of the accumulated dust has been accomplished the jarring apparatus may be rendered inoperative and the precipitator immediately sent into operation. Considerable delays and labor costs are thereby entirely avoided and the time necessary for the dust removal is reduced to a practical minimum.

Although I have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the several steps of my process and in its operation and in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit vof the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electrostatic precipitator, an electrode adapted to have precipitated material thereon, a hammer device for jarring loose the precipitated dust comprising a standard supported in operative relation to said electrode, an auxiliary piston member having a conduit extending therethrough, a fluid ham- -mer having a fluid inlet, and a bit, an auxilv nected to said hammer, means for normally holding saidhammer away from said electrode, means for supplying operating fluid 'to' said fluid inlet through said conduit and said cylinder, whereby when fluid is supplied to operate said hammer said hammer moves forward as a unit to place said bit in operative relation to said electrode' 2. In an electrostatic precipitator, an electrode adapted to have precipitated material thereon, a hammer device for jarring said electrode comprising a standard supported in operative relation to said electrode, a pieton secured to said standard, a fluid hammer having its fluid inlet at one end, and a bit at the other end, a cylinder secured to said hammer to communicate with said inlet at said end and enclosing said piston, said menace piston having a conduit adapted to have the fluid supply line connected thereto, and communicating with said cylinder, whereby when fluid is supplied to operate said hammer said hammer moves forward as a unit against the force of said spring to place said bit in operative relation to said electrode.

3. In an electrostatic precipitator, an electrode adapted to have precipitated material thereon, a hammer device for jarring loose the precipitated dust comprising a standard supported in operative relation to said electrode, a piston secured to said standard, a fluid hammer having its fluid inlet at one end, and a bit at the other end, a cylinder secured to said hammer to communicate with said inlet at said end and surrounding said piston, a first guide for said hammer affixed to said standard, a second guide for said' cylinder aflixed to said standard, said cylinder having an abutment at its rear end, a spring between said second guide and abutment, said piston having a conduit adapted to have the fluid supply line connected thereto and communicating with said cylinder, whereby when. fluid is supplied to operate said hammer, said hammer moves forward as a unit against the force of said spring to place said bit in operative relation to said electrode.

4. In combination, a high voltage electrostatic precipitator including a high potential electrode-adapted to have loose, pulverulent material precipitated thereon, a unitary, selfcontained, compact, power hammer having a bit, means automatically operative by the power supplied to operate said hamme for moving said hammer forward as a unit to place the bit in operative position to jar said electrode, and means for automatically retracting said hammer as a unit and normally holding itaway from said electrode when said power is removed, to preventinterference with the normal operation of said electrode, said power hammer being small compared to said precipitator.

5. In combination, a high voltage electrostatic precipitator comprising a set of grounded electrodes and a set of high potential electrodes, said electrodes adapted to have loose, pulverulent material precipitated thereon, a first set of separate, unitary, selfcontained compact power hammers having bits, means for separately mounting said hammers with their bits in operative position to jar said grounded electrodes, a second set of separate, unitary, self-contained, compact, power hammers having bits, means automatically operative by the powersupplied to saidsecond set of hammers for separately moving each of said second set of hammers forward as a unit to place the bit in operative relation to a high potential electrode, and means for automatically retracting each of said hammers of said second set as a unit and normy hand.

' ARMAND L. LABBE. 

